bashoGWSS1

In response to Lawrence Summers, I would like to address his use of math and numbers to quantify difference found between men and women. He notes the "findings" that put men above women in standardized testing. He also references some “quick math� that he does in his head says that men’s IQ’s in these areas are several standard deviations above women when it comes to assessing people fit for tenured positions. Fausto-Sterling critically examines the way that people use statistics as a way to naturalize difference as if it is hard fact and unbiased or objective information. In fact, she argues (as do I) that often these kinds of statistical analyses are far from objective and always have a goal: to prove a hypothesis. If one wants to create data to fit a proposed hypothesis, one can skew information, leaving out certain variables or targeting a certain population that produces the desired results. Because people believe that numbers are uncontested truths, statistical data is often absorbed into our cultural understandings, perpetuating stereotypes and reinforcing oppressive ideologies. This is also done when analyzing standardized testing. Most often these tests are created for one kind of person and does not reflect the various learning styles that kids adhere to or the different backgrounds/ personal experiences youth have. These tests then promote a +5 individual over others. Although I don’t necessarily think that Summers was trying to be oppressive (he may have just wanted to cover the university’s ass for a while), his examples only reinscribe patriarchal privilege that can be seen through educational and economic disparity.